Exhibit 97.1
Microsoft Corporation
Executive Compensation Recovery Policy
This policy covers Microsoft’s Covered Officers and explains when Microsoft will be required or authorized, as applicable, to seek recovery of Incentive Compensation awarded or paid to Covered Officers. Please refer to Exhibit A attached hereto (the “Definitions Exhibit”) for the definitions of capitalized terms used throughout this Policy.
Microsoft will seek to recover all Recoverable Incentive Compensation that was awarded or paid in accordance with the definition of “Recoverable Incentive Compensation” set forth on the Definitions Exhibit. If such Recoverable Incentive Compensation was not awarded or paid on a formulaic basis, Microsoft will seek to recover the amount that the Compensation Committee determines in good faith should be recouped.
In the event of Misconduct, Microsoft may seek recovery of Recoverable Incentive Compensation even if the Misconduct did not result in an award or payment greater than would have been awarded or paid absent the Misconduct.
In the event of Misconduct, in determining whether to seek recovery and the amount, if any, by which the payment or award should be reduced, the Compensation Committee may consider—among other things— the seriousness of the Misconduct, whether the Covered Officer was unjustly enriched, whether seeking the recovery would prejudice Microsoft’s interests in any way, including in a proceeding or investigation, and any other factors it deems relevant to the determination.
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In the reasonable exercise of its business judgment under this Policy, the Compensation Committee may in its sole discretion determine whether and to what extent additional action is appropriate to address the circumstances surrounding a Restatement or Misconduct to minimize the likelihood of any recurrence and to impose such other discipline as it deems appropriate.
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EXHIBIT A
DEFINITIONS
“Applicable Period” means (a) in the case of any Restatement, the three completed fiscal years of Microsoft immediately preceding the earlier of (i) the date the Board, a committee of the Board, or the officer or officers of Microsoft authorized to take such action if Board action is not required, concludes (or reasonably should have concluded) that a Restatement is required or (ii) the date a regulator, court or other legally authorized entity directs Microsoft to undertake a Restatement, and (b) in the case of any Misconduct, such period as the Compensation Committee or Board determines to be appropriate in light of the scope and nature of the Misconduct. The “Applicable Period” also includes any transition period (that results from a change in Microsoft’s fiscal year) within or immediately following the three completed fiscal years identified in the preceding sentence.
“Board” means the Board of Directors of Microsoft.
“Compensation Committee” means Microsoft’s committee of independent directors responsible for executive compensation decisions, or in the absence of such a committee, a majority of the independent directors serving on the Board.
“Covered Officer” means (a) in the case of any Restatement, any person who is, or was at any time, during the Applicable Period, an Executive Officer of Microsoft or an SLT Member, and (b) in the case of any Misconduct, any person who was an Executive Officer or an SLT Member at the time of the Misconduct. For the avoidance of doubt, a Covered Officer may include a former Executive Officer or SLT Member that left Microsoft, retired, or transitioned to an employee role (including after serving as an Executive Officer in an interim capacity) during the Applicable Period.
“Effective Date” means July 1, 2023.
“Executive Officer” means Microsoft’s president, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer (or if there is no such accounting officer, the controller), any vice-president in charge of a principal business unit, division, or function (such as sales, administration, or finance), any other officer who performs a policy-making function, or any other person (including an officer of Microsoft’s parent(s) or subsidiaries) who performs similar policy-making functions for Microsoft.
“Financial Performance Measure” means a measure that is determined and presented in accordance with the accounting principles used in preparing Microsoft’s financial statements (including “non-GAAP” financial measures, such as those appearing in Microsoft’s earnings releases or Management Discussion and Analysis), and any measure that is derived wholly or in part from such measure. Stock price and total shareholder return (and any measures derived wholly or in part therefrom) shall be considered Financial Performance Measures.
“Impracticable.” The Compensation Committee may determine in good faith that recovery of Recoverable Incentive Compensation is “Impracticable” (a) in the case of any Restatement, if: (i) pursuing such recovery would violate home country law of the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company where that law was adopted prior to November 28, 2022 and Microsoft provides an opinion of counsel to that effect acceptable to Microsoft’s listing exchange; (ii) the direct expense paid to a third party to assist in enforcing this Policy would exceed the Recoverable Incentive Compensation and Microsoft has (A) made a reasonable attempt to recover such amounts and (B) provided documentation of such attempts to recover to Microsoft’s applicable listing exchange; or (iii) recovery would likely cause
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an otherwise tax-qualified retirement plan, under which benefits are broadly available to employees of Microsoft, to fail to meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and (b) in the case of any Misconduct, in its sole discretion, in light of the scope and nature of the Misconduct.
“Incentive Compensation” means any compensation that is granted, earned, or vested based wholly or in part upon the attainment of a Financial Performance Measure. Incentive Compensation does not include any base salaries (except with respect to any salary increases earned wholly or in part based on the attainment of a Financial Performance Measure performance goal); bonuses paid solely at the discretion of the Compensation Committee or Board that are not paid from a “bonus pool” that is determined by satisfying a Financial Performance Measure performance goal; bonuses paid solely upon satisfying one or more subjective standards and/or completion of a specified employment period; non-equity incentive plan awards earned solely upon satisfying one or more strategic measures or operational measures; and equity awards that vest solely based on the passage of time and/or attaining one or more non-Financial Performance Measures. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of any Misconduct, Incentive Compensation will include all forms of cash and equity incentive compensation, including, without limitation, cash bonuses and equity awards that are received or vest solely based on the passage of time and/or attaining one or more non-Financial Performance Measures.
“Received.” Incentive Compensation is deemed “Received” in Microsoft’s fiscal period during which the Financial Performance Measure specified in the Incentive Compensation award is attained, even if the payment or grant of the Incentive Compensation occurs after the end of that period.
“Recoverable Incentive Compensation” means (a) in the case of any Restatement, the amount of any Incentive Compensation (calculated on a pre-tax basis) Received by a Covered Officer during the Applicable Period that is in excess of the amount that otherwise would have been Received if the calculation were based on the Restatement, and (b) in the case of any Misconduct, the amount of any Incentive Compensation (calculated on a pre-tax basis) awarded or paid to a Covered Officer during the Applicable Period that the Compensation Committee determines, in its sole discretion, to be appropriate in light of the scope and nature of the Misconduct. For the avoidance of doubt, in the case of any Restatement, Recoverable Incentive Compensation does not include any Incentive Compensation Received by a person (i) before such person began service as a Covered Officer and (ii) who did not serve as a Covered Officer at any time during the performance period for that Incentive Compensation. For the avoidance of doubt, in the case of any Restatement, Recoverable Incentive Compensation may include Incentive Compensation Received by a person while serving as an employee if such person previously served as a Covered Officer and then transitioned to an employee role. For Incentive Compensation based on (or derived from) stock price or total shareholder return where the amount of Recoverable Incentive Compensation is not subject to mathematical recalculation directly from the information in the applicable Restatement, the amount will be determined by the Compensation Committee based on a reasonable estimate of the effect of the Restatement on the stock price or total shareholder return upon which the Incentive Compensation was Received (in which case, Microsoft will maintain documentation of such determination of that reasonable estimate and provide such documentation to Microsoft’s applicable listing exchange).
“Restatement” means an accounting restatement of any of Microsoft’s financial statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Exchange Act, or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, due to Microsoft’s material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under U.S. securities laws, regardless of whether Microsoft or Covered Officer misconduct was the cause for such restatement. “Restatement” includes any required accounting restatement to correct an error in previously issued financial statements that is material to the previously issued financial statements
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(commonly referred to as “Big R” restatements), or that would result in a material misstatement if the error were corrected in the current period or left uncorrected in the current period (commonly referred to as “little r” restatements).
“SLT Member” means any person who has been designated as a member of Microsoft’s Senior Leadership Team, other than an Executive Officer.
Updated July 1, 2023
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